This is a guest post from Klara Girgis - a student from Vienna, Austria and proud member of St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox church. In today's post, Klara writes the perfect followup for all who attended MOMENTUM 2016 - about faithfulness in the little things. If you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10)
Back in 2013, Fr. Anthony wrote an awesome blogpost about Faithful Stewardship. Today I want to share some thoughts about being faithful in the little.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a conference about “The God of the Old Testament“ and got to know a very special person – a man in his forties, who traveled all the way down to this little Vienna (Austria) to share his knowledge with us. He was one of the most lovable and humble people I ever met.
Besides being really into God’s Word – he held all the lectures about all the tough spots in the Old Testament – you could feel his passion for his service and his love for God and people. I could really see what “faithful“ means though this man’s life and his service.
In this three days he never rested. When all the attendants were having a break, he would be sitting with those who had questions for him to answer. Not only was he a great role model when it comes to faithfulness and being well prepared in service, but he also opened my eyes to what Luke 16:10 actually means.
He told us that he wanted to cut off 50% time of his work as a doctor to give more time to service. But when he told his spiritual father about it, the priest disagreed and told him that he should cut off 25% only. He felt offended. Why only 25%? Why not give more? He was going to give this time to God!
But the priest had a simple answer: God had to test his faithfulness in these 25% first – if he can be trusted with little, he can be trusted with much.
I really found myself in this story. As an average Sunday school servant, service started to bore me. I was striving for something greater – something that reached more people. I wished to help the poor and travel the world to spread the faith.
But God opened my eyes. I was not being faithful in the little that He had trusted me with. The poor I had to serve were those people close to me and the Sunday school kids. God wanted me to serve those who do not know Him at university. He wanted me to serve those who lack love at home. He wanted me to serve those who feel discouraged in every-day-life.
You don’t only find poor people in Africa or far away countries - there might be needy people in your family or among your close friends. People who lack love, affection and care! Why do we always want to be trusted with more when we cannot look after the little that God has trusted us with? These people need us, they are our responsibility.
Being faithful means doing your best, always. It means starting Sunday school preparation on Monday, not Saturday evening. It means getting in touch with people you have not seen in church for a long time. It means making sure your family and friends are all feeling loved and appreciated. It means strengthening the faith of your doubting colleagues. That’s the little you are trusted with.
Even those “little“ things seem hard at times, so why do we wish to be trusted with even more? Remember the verse: “he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”
Faithfulness means doing your best, and then trusting that God will do the rest.
And it isn’t always just about other people. We pray “Loose, remit, and pardon, O God, our transgressions that we have committed voluntarily and involuntarily, consciously and unconsciously, hidden and manifest.“
Be faithful in your fight for purity. When you fight against your voluntarily committed sins, God will give you the strength to overcome the involuntarily. When you fight against your consciously committed transgressions, God will help you with those committed unconsciously and so on.
God loves faithfulness. God loves faithful servants. Let’s fight and be faithful in the little, so that we may get to hear those words from our loving master:
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21)